Tomboy
by reppad98
Summary: Traveling through regions has become a lot more dangerous, and to ensure her safety Iris disguises herself as a boy. However, traveling with an old crush while disguised was something NOT on her list. WishfulShipping a.o.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Thanks a lot for clicking on this story! This is my WishfulShipping story, so… I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 1**

The wind was soft and warm, rustling the leafs. The starry sky was clear, except for a few clouds passing by occasionally. A Hoothoot welcomed the night, and a late Kricketune ended its song. This was the true beauty of nature.

And it was all missed by the girl in the sleeping bag.

With her eyes wide open, face set in a frown and her hands clenching the edge of the sleeping bag, she didn't exactly seem asleep. In fact, she seemed more awake then most other beings in the forest.

After bolting upright for the third time that minute, she sighed and stepped out of her sleeping bag.

"This is ridiculous," Iris mumbled, "I'm the only human in a radius of 10 miles, and I'm still afraid of being snuck up by some crazy guy."

A small green Pokémon popped out of her hair, groggily opening up its eyes and then looking confused at its Trainer.

"I'm sorry Axew," Iris apologized to her Pokémon, "I just can't fall asleep. I keep waking up by every sound, thinking it's some mad rapist or something."

"Axew," the Pokémon replied, before snuggling up in her hair once again.

Sighing, the purple haired girl plopped down on her sleeping bag, pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them.

Staring mindlessly at the trees in front of her, her thoughts drifted off to the reason of her insomnia.

A phone call. No, _three_ phone calls. And an invitation. And her own stubbornness, but she refused to admit that.

First came the invitation.

_Misty Waterflower and Ash Ketchum  
invite you to join us at the celebration of our marriage.  
Wednesday, the seventh of November  
at two o'clock in the afternoon.  
The Green Park of Viridian City,  
Kanto.  
Dinner and dancing follow.  
R.V.S.P._

Then the stubbornness. Or well, first the happiness, then the stubbornness. Because this would be a perfect opportunity to travel a while. A plan had formed in Iris's mind – if she boarded the plane to Sinnoh this week, she could travel through Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto, AND be in time for the wedding. It was the perfect opportunity.

Then came the first phone call. Dawn.

"_Oh my Arceus, Iris, have you heard from Ash and Misty?" The blue-haired girl on the screen was bouncing up and down from excitement. "I'm so thrilled, I mean, _marriage! _Imagine being married! Oh, I'm so happy for them! Aren't you happy? You are going, aren't you?" _

"_Yes, I'm very happy for them. And yes, I'm going… In fact, I'm planning on leaving this week," Iris replied, regarding Dawn curiously, never quite understanding why she could be so happy all the time._

_When Dawn only looked confused by her answer, Iris reluctantly explained about her plan to travel through Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto._

"_I'm not visiting Gyms though, I just want to travel to see the Pokémon and nature of those regions."_

"_But- But you are taking your Pokémon with you, right?" the bluenette asked with concern clear in her blue eyes._

"_Of course," Iris smiled, gesturing to the Pokémon in her hair, "my Axew."_

_Upon seeing the mess that Iris called her hair, a brief look of disgust appeared on Dawn's face. After a short shake of her head, concern replaced it and she continued._

"_Only Axew?"_

"_Yeah… why?" Iris asked when Dawn started to panic._

"_Don't you know how dangerous that is? Traveling alone, with only one Pokémon? Especially as girl?" Her eyes were widened in fear and concern._

_Iris shook her head, not believing the older girl. "How bad can it get? I have Axew, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."_

"_I know, but…" Dawn continued in a whisper, "there could be murderers, or kidnappers, or thieves, or…" now she was talking almost inaudible, "rapists."_

"_I don't think it's that bad, Dawn," Iris laughed away her worries. "Thanks for the advice though, but I really have to go now."_

"_But-" Dawn protested, but Iris had already broken the connection._

_She didn't need to go, but she had enough of Dawn and her worries. It was making her anxious, even though she didn't want to admit it._

It wasn't that Iris didn't like Dawn, but they were exact opposites. Dawn was girly and easily scared, and Iris was, well… not. Dawn probably considered them best friends, Iris more thought of them as good acquaintances. In truth Iris was probably a bit jealous of Dawn, because she could make so easily friends. Iris always had been a little more distrustful of strangers.

The second phone call came from May.

"_Hey Iris, long time no see!" the brunette greeted her._

"_May! Good to see you!" Iris grinned, liking May better than Dawn. Even though May was still a bit too girly according to Iris, at least the girl had a decent taste in Pokémon._

"_Isn't it great that Ash and Misty are finally going to marry?" May asked excited._

"_Yeah…" Iris agreed, a bit suspicious. May never called for 'just a talk' – she always had a reason._

_When May continued rambling about the wedding and how happy she was, Iris felt her suspicions confirmed. Deciding to take action, she interrupted the Coordinator – who was in full wedding dress mode – with a sharp, "Get to the point, May!"_

_May flustered, and looked down, scratching her head in embarrassment._

"_Sorry," she grinned, "It's just…"_

_Iris looked at her questioningly._

"_Are you really planning on travelling through Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto?" May blurted out._

_Iris face palmed. "Dawn told you, didn't she?"_

_When her question was met with sheepish laughter, Iris sighe, "That girl should keep her nose out of other people's business."_

"_You know that's her nature, plus, she's really concerned about you, you know," May defended her best friend._

_Sighing, Iris said, "I know, but-"_

"_And I'm worried too, Iris," May interrupted her. "You may not believe this, but traveling has become a lot more dangerous, especially for girls alone. Maybe it's in Unova different, but here, when girls start their journey, they travel in groups, and only split up when they have all a full team of strong Pokémon."_

_Concern was etched on the blue-eyed girl's face, and Iris found herself involuntary getting worried too. Quickly she pushed those feelings aside – she _would _travel, _alone, _no matter what everyone said._

_May noticed the look on her friend's face, and quickly continued, "At least think about it, okay? Maybe… maybe you can travel with a friend for a while, or… or you take your other Pokémon with you!"_

"_Er-"_

"_You could do that! How many Pokémon do you have? Five, six? They're strong, right? You would be a lot saf-"_

"_May!" Iris interrupted the rambling Coordinator. "I'm taking only Axew with me, okay?"_

"_But wh-" May was again interrupted by Iris._

"_Because my other Pokémon deserve their rest, I don't want to be tempted to battling again and I want room in my team for maybe some new Pokémon," Iris responded, slightly irritated. She felt like she was trying to convince herself, and she hated it._

_When May opened her mouth again, Iris cut her off again._

"_I can take care of myself May, thanks, but..." she trailed off._

_May sighed and shook her head, muttering something about stupid stubborn girls._

"_Okay, you win, but promise me that you'll be careful AND that you'll visit Dawn when you're in Sinnoh."_

"_Do I have to?" the Dragon-Master-to-be whined._

_Grinning evilly, May nodded, causing Iris to sigh deeply._

"_Okay, fine, whatever. I promise."_

"_Great! Well, good luck and don't forget about your promise, 'kay?"_

"_Yes May, see ya!"_

"_Bye, and don't forget-"May started again._

"_Bye May!" Iris said, putting the phone down, ignoring the churning in her stomach._

Maybe they were right, a little voice had whispered. Maybe it's too dangerous, maybe you shouldn't go, maybe this isn't such a good idea. But Iris didn't listen, her pride blocking the voice of reason effectively.

The last call was from Misty, the bride-to-be. It was short and to the point.

"_You're coming to the wedding?" the redhead started the conversation._

"_Yes, of course."_

"_And you're planning on traveling through Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto? On your own, with only one Pokémon?"_

"_Yes, but-"_

"_And there's nothing I can do to stop you from leaving?" Misty continued the interrogation._

"_Nop,." Iris replied, trying to feel happy that someone finally understood her. She only felt more anxious, though._

_Misty nodded, her blue-green eyes staring at Iris intently._

"_Take a knife with you."_

_Expecting Misty to say something like take care, Iris was already half nodding before she realized what the Gym Leader had said._

"_What, a- a knife?"_

"_Yes, a knife. You know, that sharp, shiny thing you cut yo-"_

"_I know what a knife is," Iris cut her off, "but why a knife?"_

"_Because since you refuse any other kind of defense, you could at least take a weapon with you. And a knife might come in handy in other situations too."_

_Iris paled, then answered shakily, "Thanks… I think."_

"_No problem," Misty replied as if it was normal to talk about knifes over the phone – or about knifes in general, "well, I should go, and you should too, I imagine you still have a lot to pack."_

"_Yea-Yeah."_

"_Good luck, take care and don't forget to call sometimes," Misty smiled, and after a wave the screen went black, leaving Iris more insecure about her plans than ever._

_It took her a moment to realize that Misty had used reverse psychology on her. And that it had worked too._

"_That little…" Iris muttered, before clenching her teeth. Balling her fists, she made a decision._

_She _would _travel through Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto – no matter what it would take._

And now she was here, in the middle of Route 222, alone. Alone. With only one Pokémon, that also happened to be fast asleep. Only armed with a knife.

An easy target.

She shook her head – she couldn't think like that. It would only make her more afraid.

Lying back on the sleeping bag and closing her eyes, she tried to sleep again.

In fact, she tried all night. And failed the same number of times. Occasionally she would drift off, but was always quickly awakened by some twigs breaking, or a Pokémon scurrying around.

As soon as the sun started to rise, a drowsy Iris packed up her sleeping bag, grabbed a few berries from a nearby plant, and continued on her way to Veilstone City. She hoped she would get there before sunset – sleeping in a Pokémon Center would be a lot more comfortable. And safer.

"Oh Axew," Iris mumbled to her Dragon Pokémon, who was now sitting on her shoulder. "What I'm supposed to do? I can't stay awake every night."

"Xew, Ax," the Pokémon answered wisely.

"I wish I was a boy," Iris sighed. Then she froze mid-step, as a plan started to form in her mind.

If she… What if… A smile crept up her face as she thought about it. Just some right clothes and no one would see the difference.

Making a decision, she sprinted off to Veilstone City, even more determined to get there before sunset.

It was time to switch genders.

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it – I did, it was fun to write. I've never written Iris or Cilan before, so I hope it's good enough. Anyway, tell what you think about it! Was it good, bad, worse or even worst? Maybe you saw some terrible mistakes? TELL ME! I wanna know!  
Thanks again, and please please REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the positive feedback guys! Five reviews, follows and favorites for the first chapter, I was truly blown away! Now, without further ado, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 2**

The sun was setting, and the outline of Veilstone City was finally visible. Iris had been running all day, and was positively exhausted.

That was only logical, after all, she hadn't had any sleep the night before, not to forget that running all the way to Veilstone wasn't a piece of cake.

As soon as she entered the City, she stopped running and stumbled the last steps to the Pokémon Center, where she demanded a room – who needs manners when they're about to faint from exhaustion?

Grabbing the key, she made her way to the her room and fell down on the soft bed, immediately falling asleep.

* * *

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noticed it was eleven o'clock. Being still half asleep Iris didn't immediately realize what it meant. A few moments later, however, she did.

She bolted upright – causing Axew to fall out of her hair – uttered a few foul words and then made a move to grab her clothes, only to realize that she was still wearing them.

"Great, now I'm late," Iris muttered, "C'mon Axew, I have business to take care of."

"Xew, Axew," the Pokémon said, before jumping on her shoulder.

When she had been running, she had thought about her disguise. Clothes would be easy – only a wide sweater and no one would see the difference. Wide sweaters weren't exactly 'fashionable' for boys this season, but had been some years ago, which meant that lots of secondhand shops still sold them. And every city had at least one good secondhand shop.

That's when she realized she had a big problem – a big, messy, purple problem. No way _that_ would fit under a cap. Misty's hair would, May's hair too, Dawn's probably too, but hers? Impossible. Of course she could just have her hair this long – there were enough guys with long hair – but having it long would only emphasize her feminine looks.

As much as she sometimes wanted to deny it, puberty sure had changed her. Her face had lost its round form making her big, brown eyes stand out even more and her body had gotten curvier. It would never look like Dawn's or May's, but it still could attract gazes of boys – not that Iris noticed, of course.

So she had come to the conclusion that she needed to cut her hair.

Walking out of the Pokémon Center, she sighed, and ran a hand through her long, thick strands. She didn't like to cut off her hair, but didn't dislike it either. She didn't care about her looks that much – no boy would like her anyway, she was way too… er- aggressive. But her long, puffy hair had always been a part of her – it would be weird to have it all short.

However, she didn't want to cut it _all_ off. No, then she would have a lot of explaining to do at the wedding. She had opted for a compromise – not long, not short, just a little past her shoulders. And of course not puffy – if that was possible.

After walking aimlessly through the City for almost a half hour, Iris finally found a little hairdresser's. It seemed cozy and professional.

A bell ringed softly when Iris walked in the shop. Immediately a young woman came running from the back of the shop, yelling, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Stopping in front of Iris, the woman pushed her pink bangs from her face, before asking slightly out of breath, "How may I help you?"

"I would like to have my hair this short," she answered, indicating the length with her finger. She had been practicing this sentence all the way to here, not wanting to give her unconsciousness a chance to interfere. And since this girl seemed nice and professional enough, Iris took the risk.

"And less puffy," Iris added quickly, almost forgetting about that.

"Awesome!" the woman said, "Now if you go sit in that chair, I'll get the hairdresser."

And with a smile she was off.

Wait, did she mean she wasn't the hairdresser? Who was it then?

Panicking slightly, Iris sat down in one of the red chairs and tried to relax. Every attempt went to waste when she noticed who the hairdresser was – an old man, his hair more white than grey, with thick glasses and his eyes all scrunched up, as if he was desperately trying to see something clear.

In other words, he was as blind as a Zubat.

"Er- thanks, but I've changed my mind. I like my hair as it is," Iris said while standing up, but was pushed back by the man. And there went her only way out.

"Don't worry, girl, I'm very professional," he smiled, grabbing a pair of scissors from a table and cutting the air wildly a few times, to demonstrate his professionality.

Somehow Iris didn't feel very convinced.

After looking in the mirror for a few minutes, seeing how the man was rampaging her hair, she was getting bored. So she closed her eyes and started to count. She didn't want to admit it, but she didn't want to see how her beautiful hair was cut off.

When she reached the 2093 the hairdresser started to wash her hair. At 2401 he started to dry her hair. At 2653 he was brushing it.

"You can open your eyes now," the man snickered after 2703 seconds of her eyes being closed.

Embarrassed at being caught she opened her eyes – and was completely in shock.

She didn't know what she had expected, but certainly not this. Her hair tips just reached her shoulders, and although it was still puffy, it wasn't anywhere close to what it had been. It looked pretty good, Iris decided.

Just one more test. She pulled her hair back in a high ponytail – yes, that looked good. A few shorter bangs fell on her forehead, making it look more natural.

"It looks good," Iris said.

Smiling, the man replied, "I know," before holding out his hand and continuing in a business tone, "that's going to be 7300 Pokédollars."

"Er- what?" Iris asked, not quite believing what the man just said.

"7300 Pokédollars, please," the man repeated.

Her jaw dropped – that was a lot of money for just a hairdo. Grumbling, she reached for her money, counted it and then handed it to the man with a frown.

Well, that sure ate away her budget for the clothes.

She walked out of the shop, not sparing the hairdresser a look. He truly was a Zubat – blind _and_ a bloodsucker.

Touching her hair, she found that she couldn't stay mad long. It did look good, after all. Quite nice even. Maybe even pretty.

Axew, on the other hand, wasn't happy _at all_.

"Ax, Ax, Axew," it whined, trying to nestle in her hair, only to fall out of it on the other side.

"Oh Axew," Iris laughed, picking the Dragon Pokémon up, "that's not gonna fit anymore. Suppose you have to stay on my shoulder from now on."

The Pokémon glared at her, before making itself comfortable on her shoulder.

Remembering she had seen a secondhand shop earlier when she was looking for a hairdresser, she started walking in the direction she came from.

_Sara's Secondhand Shop _the sign on the shop read. Gulping, Iris pushed the doors open and entered the dimly lit shop.

It was neatly organized – on the left men clothes, on the right women's and upstairs children's.

For a moment, she stood still in the entrance of the shop wondering where she should go. Men's or children's? Before she could make a decision, a middle-aged woman with short, red curly hair approached her.

"May I help you, dear?"

"Er-" Iris started, but was cut off by the woman.

"I have a very beautiful dress, just in, barely worn, it would look great on you, I'm sure," the woman chattered, pulling Iris with her to the women section before Iris could protest.

Out of a pile of clothes the woman picked a short yellow dress.

"Now look at this, dearie, it goes wonderfully with your skin and hair," the woman said enthusiastically, holding the dress up.

"Er-" Iris only said, before the woman interrupted her again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I get overenthusiastic again," the woman apologized, "So, how can I help you?"

"I actually…" Iris started, before actually thinking about her response. How would she explain to that woman that she wanted boys clothes? Whatever, action first, explanation later.

"I'm looking for boys clothes," Iris said determined.

"Aha," the woman said after a pause, before continuing, "Why?"

Right, so first explanation, then action.

"I- er, I… um," Iris started, before an idea popped up in her mind, "I'm going to a party where we have to come cross-dressed, so boys as girls and girls as boys."

Genius, Iris, genius, she complimented herself.

"Oh, what a nice idea! Well, don't worry, I'm sure we can find something for you. A wide shirt, and…" the woman continued chattering while pulling Iris up to the children's section. She threw a last look of regret at the yellow dress – she still needed something to wear to the wedding.

A few minutes filled with mindless blabbering of the woman and the occasional nods of Iris later, she found herself in a dressing room. In front of her were a dark red, wide sweater, jeans, a cap and a pair of sneakers.

Within a few minutes Iris was changed and placed her high ponytail under the red and black cap. A few bangs escaped, but it didn't look that bad.

"Well, sweetie, are you finished?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Iris answered, stepping out of the dressing room.

"Hmm…" the woman said, eyeing her professionally. She tapped her lips, before walking away.

Finally, a bit of silence, Iris thought. That woman sure could talk – Mew, even Dawn wasn't that cheery all the time.

Holding up a white cloth the woman returned.

"This is a breast binder," she explained, and then said with a wink, "It's elastic and hides those two apples of you."

Blushing, Iris grabbed the breast binder out the woman's hands, and turned back into the dressing room, with her nose in the air.

She glanced in the mirror – the woman was right, the bulges of her breasts were still visible. Grumbling, she threw off her sweater, tightened the breast binder around her chest and then put her sweater back on.

Looking in the mirror again, she noted that she was now practically flat chested – not that she hadn't been before, Iris thought.

When she stepped out of the dressing room, she was immediately attacked by the woman again.

"Oh, oh, oh, dear, this looks absolutely wonderful. You're just a boy! I mean…" the woman continued on and on, but Iris didn't listen anymore.

Yes, this would do, she decided. She looked like a boy in pre-puberty – already growing, but still childlike looks.

"I take it," she said, interrupting the woman.

"Fantastic!" the woman squealed, "I mean, it looks absolutely great on you, no one would the difference and…" blah blah blah, Iris added silently, zoning out again.

When they walked down again, her eye caught the yellow dress again. On impulse, she walked over to it, grabbed it and declared, "I take this one too."

The woman was now absolutely on cloud nine – she was positively beaming.

"Can I keep these clothes on?" Iris quickly asked, before the woman started talking again.

"Of course, sweetie, good luck with it. I'm sure all your friends will be jealous, I mean, look at it. You look…" the woman continued her monologue while Iris pulled out her wallet.

Paying, Iris ended the conversation, and quickly fled- er… walked out of the shop.

"Whoa, that woman sure could talk," Iris said, shaking her head.

"Ax, Axew," the Pokémon on her shoulder agreed.

"C'mon, let's go," she mumbled, "time to test this outfit."

And without a single look back, Iris and Axew left Veilstone City.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks a lot for reading! I know not a lot happened in here, but next chapter is gonna be really good ;) Cilan is going to be added soon, don't worry. Just need some time to build this story up a bit. Wouldn't want to rush…  
Oh, and does anyone else have problems with the covers? I'm able to upload the images, but can't use them as cover…  
Please tell me what you think about it! I love to read your opinions! Nothing makes me happier than seeing all those reviews xD  
Thanks again, and please, please REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you so much, guys! You have no idea how grateful I am. So, here you go, the next chapter – hope you like it!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 3**

Luck was on her side, Iris thought confidently as the sun began the set. In front of her Mount Conoret was rising up. The ground was even sloping slightly.

Glancing at her watch and at the setting sun, she pondered for a moment. Set up the camp and stay here for the night, with the possibility of spending the next night still on Mount Conoret ? Or continue walking in the dark till she reached the foot of Mount Conoret so she could climb it in one day?

Balling her fists and accelerating her step, she made a decision. She would continue walking to Mount Conoret, even if it was dark. She wasn't afraid anymore of being alone at night, after all.

The past few days she had been traveling disguised as a boy, and it was going _perfectly_. The first day Iris had been very anxious, afraid that someone would recognize her as a girl. However, it turned out she had nothing to worry about. The few Trainers she's met quickly continued on their way when she told them that she wasn't a Trainer – that was a white lie, she told herself. After all, she needed Axew for her defense, and she promised that she wouldn't train on this journey.

Yesterday, some girl even _flirted_ with her. Or well, she thought it was flirting, but couldn't be sure as she didn't have any experience herself.

Continuing on her way, Iris enjoyed the soft night breeze and the sounds of the nature. She was comfortable with all the Pokémon around her.

As it became darker, she found it harder to navigate. She didn't stop though, stubborn as she was. Only when Axew almost fell off her shoulder for the second time because it dozed off, she decided that as soon as she found a few trees, she would rest.

No trees were in sight though, and Iris just continued walking and walking. Growing drowsy too, she paid less and less attention to where she was going. She could be practically sleepwalking, until-

"WAAAHH!" she yelped, feeling the ground disappear beneath her feet. With one hand she grabbed Axew, with the other she desperately tried to find some or other support. In vain.

She fell on her butt – hard – and began sliding down the steep. She had no time to think what or how, because after a few seconds she painfully collided with the ground. Her cap flew of her head, and she scraped her hand and elbow while trying to break her fall.

"Ouch, aw," she muttered, trying to stand up again. The skin on her hand and elbow was burning, and her whole body felt bruised.

"You okay, Axew?" Iris asked her Pokémon on her shoulder worriedly.

When it answered positively, she breathed in relief and tried to take in her surroundings. Key word here is tried.

It was totally pitch dark in the cave she had fallen in. Correction, not totally, because almost straight above her head was the hole she had fallen through, letting a bit of starlight enlighten the cave. Her watch was also glowing slightly, but not enough to see something besides her wrist.

The slope leading to the only way out was too steep to climb alone, Iris noticed to her dismay. This did not stop her from trying, resulting in more scrapes and bruises.

"Okay, this is not gonna work," Iris said to no one in particular, "Well, then the other way."

Turning around, Iris started walking in the opposite direction, hands stretched out. After almost tripping over a stone for the third time, she sat down on her knees and started crawling.

A few seconds later, her hand touched something soft. Her cap. She grabbed it and put it back on her head.

After some time, she felt Axew climb on her back, and there snuggling up.

"Oh yeah, of course, you go and have some sleep, I'll just continue crawling and trying to get us out of here," Iris said sarcastically. It was the truth, though.

A painful and exhausted body, bleeding hands and no sense of direction were the results of Iris's hours-long crawling. Her watch now read 23:28 pm. Usually she would've been asleep for hours.

Maybe I should go get some sleep, the purple-haired girl thought. She rolled out her sleeping bag and loosened her breast binder – after the first night she discovered sleeping with it was _very_ uncomfortable, and since it was impossible to see any forms in a sleeping bag, she wasn't worried about it.

She put the asleep Axew next to her and nuzzled into the sleeping bag. A soft sigh of contentment escaped her lips, and within a few minutes Iris was off to land of dreams.

* * *

With a start she woke up, but kept still and silent. At first she thought she was still dreaming, or that her overactive imagination was playing tricks on her, but after a few moments, she still felt it.

_Something_ was creeping over her stomach. It wasn't Axew, as she could hear it breath next to her. She could hear someone or something else breath close to her too. It wasn't a Pokémon, she realized quickly – the breaths were deeper, slower. Human.

It was a hand, and it was moving over her stomach, feeling, fumbling, _groping_. When the hand moved higher, to her chest area, Iris had enough. With a swift hit she slapped away the hand, earning a satisfying yelp from the person – male.

She shot up, her forehead colliding with the other's, causing them both to groan. She turned to her prowler, now wide awake. Quickly grabbing her cap and securing it on her head, clumsily hiding her pony tail, she heard Axew waking up. _What a great guard,_ Iris thought sarcastically.

"Ugh… who are you?" she heard the man in front of her ask.

"I-," she started, before remembering to make her voice lower, "I'm Ir- er, Ike."

"Ike?"

"Yeah," Iris said, trying to sound sure of herself.

"And what are you doing here?" the person asked suspiciously. Now Iris began to become annoyed. Who did he think he was, to wake her up like that and to interrogate her, without saying anything about himself?

"I'm lost," she snapped at him, "and what are you doing here? Taking a walk?"

"No," the man said patiently, "I fell down a hole on the other side of this cave – I've been crawling for a hour. But it's way too high to climb up, even with two people."

Deciding that getting out of here was more important than some petty argument with some guy, Iris answered, "I've been crawling for four hours," and after a glance at her watch she added, "and sleeping for three. I think that the steep on my side is maybe our way out, if we work together."

"Awesome!" the stranger exclaimed, "Let's go!"

"Now?" the still sleepy girl asked, "but it's still night!"

"Yes, but by the time we reach the hole you fell through, it'll be day again."

"Okay, okay," Iris muttered, seeing the logic behind his words, "Just let me pack up everything, okay?"

"Sure," he answered.

While rolling up her sleeping bag, she said, "You go ahead, er… what's your name?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Cilan," Cilan replied, "and of course."

When the man introduced himself as Cilan, Iris tuned out as her thoughts flew to the other Cilan she knew. He was a Pokémon Connoisseur and one of the three Gym Leaders of Striaton City, the other two being his brothers. But above all, he had been her traveling partner and best friend for three years. And she might – _might_, mind you – have had a crush on him.

Okay, so she had been crushing on him. It didn't matter to her that he was four years older than her, or that she just had been ten – almost eleven, when she developed that crush on him. It was usual for girls around that age to have their first crush on someone older and more mature. And Cilan had always acted so nice and gentlemanly to her, on the contrary to the other boys, who had acted either rude or afraid. Or childish, in Ash's case. It was perfectly normal.

At least, that's what she told herself. The fact that they separated ways when she was almost fourteen – he had been almost eighteen – and that he never showed any interest in her besides friendship, made Iris try to forget him. Try being the key word here.

They kept in touch the first year, but Iris being busy with Training and Cilan with… doing other things, made their contact fade quickly. After that, it should've been fairly easy to forget about him, but somehow, Iris never got over him, even though she didn't want to admit it. It was just a silly crush, after all.

_Just a silly crush_. How wrong you are, Iris, how very wrong.

When Cilan turned away, Iris quickly fastened her breast binder and made sure her cap was placed correctly on her head – even though he couldn't see her. Axew jumped on her back again, and they started crawling.

For a short moment Iris wondered if this was maybe the Cilan she used to travel with, but quickly discarded that possibility. Way too much coincidence.

They had been crawling for a few minutes, when Cilan started a conversation, "So, are you a Pokémon Trainer?"

"Yeah," Iris answered. She felt that she should elaborate a bit, but couldn't find the right words. For one, it was in the middle of the night, and for two… something was telling her to stay silent. And she knew she shouldn't ignore gut feelings.

To stop him from asking more personal questions, Iris came up with a plan to distract him. Or well, an attempt to distract him.

"What about a little game, to kill some time?" she proposed.

"A game?"

"Yeah, you picture something in your mind, and I ask yes-or-no questions to find out what it is. Pretty easy, right?"

For a moment it was silent, before she heard him laughing shortly.

"Sorry, I nodded, but then I realized that you couldn't see me."

"So you'll play?" Iris asked hopefully. She played it sometimes with Axew – she asked the questions, of course.

"Sure. Why don't you start?"

The disguised girl thought for a moment, before answering, "Okay, I have one. Start asking."

"Is it edible?"

"No."

"Is it human made?"

"Yes."

"Is it round?"

"Yes."

"Red and white?"

"Yes," Iris grumbled, knowing she had lost.

"A Pokéball!" he exclaimed happily.

"Yes," she said, "Now it's your turn."

Four long hours they passed like this, asking questions and answering, without revealing any personal information. Iris found she quite liked it – deep down, she hoped that Cilan was going in the same direction as she, and that they could travel together for a while. Company would be nice, since she still had a long journey ahead.

Maybe being disguised as a boy wasn't that bad.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! And that it was a bit realistic… Anyway, I liked this one. And Cilan is introduced! Also, I have no idea how old he is, so I made something up. Tell me what you thought about it – was it good? Unrealistic? Far-fetched? Tell me, I really want to know!  
Oh, I fixed my cover problem – as you can see now, it's changed. It's an iris. Don't you think purple and green go well together? xD  
Thanks again, and please, please REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate all your support! Oh yeah, there's a bit of confusion about the ages – well, let's say, Iris is 17 years old, Cilan 21 years old, and Ash and Misty somewhere in their mid-twenties. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 4**

When one is in the dark, their eyes try to adapt to the bit of light there is. Their pupils widen and if they're suddenly surprised by a flash of bright light, this may cause blindness. However, when there isn't any light for a long time, the brain area for sight is unused and starts to make up forms. So people who are left in a completely dark room for some time, are starting to see things.

And even though Iris saw the bit of light from her watch, she sometimes thought she saw things move from the corner of her eye. Dark purple, blue and grey forms creeping in the shadows. But she knew it was all in her mind, and tried to pay no attention to it, and focused on the game.

So when she saw a dark figure move in front of her, she was sure it was another figment of her imagination. And when the figure stopped moving – and every instinct in her body told her to stop too, otherwise she would bump into it – she listened to the logic that told her it was just her imagination.

And she bumped into the figure. So far for listening to logic.

"Are you okay?" Cilan immediately asked.

She rubbed her nose, and answered, "Yeah, I'm fine… what was that?"

"… Um, my behind," he answered awkwardly.

Backing away immediately, Iris, blushing furiously, mumbled an apology.

"It's okay, and on the bright sight – we reached the hole!" Cilan said cheerily.

Indeed, above them was the hole Iris fell through. It was almost completely dark outside – clouds overcastted the stars.

"Now, how are we going to do this?" Cilan wondered aloud.

Standing up, Iris answered, "I could climb on your shoulders, and then maybe I could reach the edge of the hole."

"That's a great idea, Ike!" he agreed. For a moment Iris didn't know to who he was talking – Ike? – before remembering that _she_ was Ike.

"I'm right here, just follow my voice," Cilan guided her, "here, just a little further…"

With her hands outstretched she walked towards to where his voice was coming from. She didn't tell him that she didn't need him to guide him – after all, she could see his dark figure. But she found his deep voice pleasant to listen to. Not that she would tell him. Or somebody else.

Then her hands touched something warm and soft – and very alive.

"That's my back, grab my shoulders and try to climb on them," he said. Her hands traveled upwards – he was tall – and then grabbed his shoulders firmly.

Taking a deep breath, she placed one foot on his lower back – she had done this before, she could do this, she was a fantastic climber… in the dark wouldn't be that much of a difference.

"One, two, three," she muttered, and on three, she jumped up, and using the foot on Cilan's back as support, she immediately placed one knee on his shoulder. Within a second, she withdrew her foot from his back, and placed it on his shoulder. He groaned, and fell a bit forward, but quickly regained his balance by gripping the stony wall.

"Everything okay down there?" Iris asked, not able to contain the giggle in her voice. She was in her element and adrenaline was racing through her veins.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep climbing," he answered, his voice slightly strained.

Using the wall too for support, she stood up on his shoulders. Slowly stretching, she reached for the edge. The girl almost fell over when she felt something warm grasp her ankle – the moment after it, she realized it was Cilan's hand, trying to keep her steady.

Her hands reached the edge, and tested it – it seemed solid enough.

"Okay, got it. I'm gonna try to pull myself up, okay?" Iris said, and immediately started to lift herself up. Although she was strong, lifting her own weight was still difficult.

When her feet left Cilan's shoulders, he immediately grabbed her other ankle and tried to push her up. The disguised girl startled, but kept pulling.

Now she could see the ground – it was dark outside, because the trees and the clouds darkened the starlight. Axew jumped of her head and onto the safe ground.

"Oh yeah, of course, let me do all the hard work," she mumbled out of breath.

"What?" Cilan's voice came from below her. He stood completely stretched out, trying to give Iris a bit of support.

"Nothing," she replied. Pulling up had been the hardest part, now she just needed to push herself up. That should've been fairly easy, weren't it for her exhausted arms. But she managed.

Lying sprawled out on the moist ground Iris tried to catch her breath again. Her arms were trembling and she was sure she could fall asleep here and now, but Cilan was still down in the cave. She couldn't just leave him… could she? Nah, probably not.

"You're okay?" he asked, a worried undertone in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Now, how are we going to get you here?" she asked, standing up.

"Well… I could try to climb a little bit, and then grab your hands…" Cilan answered, a bit unsure.

"Hmm…" Iris replied, not really listening as she was too busy walking around the hole, searching for something.

"Aha! Found it," she exclaimed happily. A solid tree root was sticking out of the ground. She dug it out a little more – ignoring Cilan's questions coming from the cave – and then tested it. Yup, that would work, she decided.

"Okay, I got a plan. You try to climb up, and I'll try to give you a hand, okay?" Iris yelled down.

"Okay," he answered in a small voice. He probably wasn't one for climbing, Iris thought. Right, and now it's time to start my plan. She first lay down on her stomach, facing the hole. Hooking her feet behind the root, she crawled forward to the hole. As she bowed down to look into the hole, she immediately realized the hitch in her plan.

Her cap would fall off.

Right, think Iris, think. Her hood. She had a hood.

She pulled it over her head and tightened it, before continuing with her plan. Taking a deep breath, she hung forward into the hole. Her whole upper body was now into the cave.

Vaguely seeing Cilan's figure, she stuck out her arms in his direction, but he was still too far below.

"C'mon Cilan, climb!" Iris yelled encouragingly. Her own feet were already hurting from holding her whole weight.

Slowly, very slowly, he came closer and after a few attempts of climbing on Cilan's part, Iris was finally able to grab his hands. His hands were bigger than hers, and both their hands were already sweaty.

And he was extremely heavy – or so it felt for Iris. She scrunched her eyes shut in the exertion. But after a few agonizing slow minutes, they were both lying on the ground, panting heavily.

After taking off her hood and unhooking her feet from the root – they hurt so much – she grabbed her sleeping bag, and without giving Cilan a second look, she stepped into it and lay down.

"I'm going to sleep," she said, not caring if Cilan agreed or not. She. Was. Exhausted.

"Goodnight, Ike," he replied.

"Goodnight," she mumbled. She was almost asleep, when Cilan interrupted the silence.

"You know, we could've just used my Pansage's Vine Wip to climb up…"

"Ugh, shut up," she groaned, and finally drifted off.

* * *

She had dreamt of this before – of meeting him again, both of them being older. But always when she woke up, she couldn't remember how he looked, just that he looked _older_.

Now however, she got a pretty clear look. His face was slightly longer, but his green eyes and hair were still the same. In fact, it seemed that he hadn't changed that much – though she didn't remember the green stubble on his chin. His lips were moving, as if he was saying something, but Iris couldn't understand the words.

"Ike, Ike, wake up, Ike. Wake up, Ike."

Ike? she wondered for a moment, before everything from yesterday came back again and she shot up, subsequently hitting her head against Cilan's.

Cilan. Oh Arceus, _Cilan_. He's back.

"You sure make a habit out of that," he grinned. She could only stare at him.

"Ike, you're alright?" he asked when she continued to stare at him.

Ike. She had almost forgotten about the fact that she was Ike now. _He cannot see me like this, _Iris decided in an instant, _he cannot know who I really am. He would think I'm crazy or something._

Nodding dumbly, she stepped out of her sleeping bag and rolled it up.

"I've made breakfast," he offered with a smile.

"Thanks," she replied, but she wasn't really paying attention. She still couldn't get her head wrapped around the fact that this boy – no, young man, was Cilan, _her _Cilan.

Best is, she decided while eating in silence, to leave him as soon as possible. If he finds out who she really was then he would probably think she was weird and crazy and tomboyish and not-feminine and so not dateable for a gentleman like him. She let out a quiet sigh.

"You know, Ike, I've been thinking," Cilan started, "since we have such a great flavor together, I thought, why not travel together for a while?"

When Iris just looked at him blankly, he quickly added, "If that's okay with you, of course."

What happened a lot to Iris, happened now too – her body acted before she could think. Thus she nodded yes.

"Great," he whooped, and then was off to do the dishes.

As soon as he was away, she let her head fall in her hands. Oh Mew, where did she get herself into?

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks a lot for reading! And please tell me what you thought about it – I truly appreciate every word ;)  
Oh, and does anyone have some good Cilan sentences, you know, with food and all…  
Anyway, thanks again, and please leave a REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I. Am. So. Sorry. I know, I know, that probably doesn't help, but really, I am. I was sick, and busy with school, and the holidays. By the way, I hope you all have had a good Christmas and I wish you all a happy New Year! But I still wanted to thank you guys, for your awesome support and kind words. You are really really amazing!  
Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

To _Jellybeans_ First of all, thanks a lot for the reviews! They're really appreciated. Secondly, I like to have a more realistic take on Pokémon. And c'mon, Team Rocket can't really be the worst that they have to deal with, now? So, yeah, if you think it's disturbing, I'm sorry, because that isn't my intention. Thirdly, doesn't being a tomboy mean that she _would_ cut her hair? I mean, that seems quite logical to me. And lastly, this is a T-rated fic, and it's T-rated with a reason. It means that I'm going to talk about subjects for people twelve years and older, and believe me, all twelve years old have heard of puberty. If it's disturbing you and you think it's uncomfortable, then again, I'm sorry, but then I don't think you're ready for reading T-rated fics. Still, thanks for reviewing!

To _AshKetchum4Life_ Thanks for the review! And yeah, you're right. I'll correct it ;) Thanks again!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 5**

With her finger Iris was drawing circles and curls on the ground, not really noticing that she was doing it. Cilan was doing the dishes and had left her alone to ponder about her misery – although that probably wasn't his intention.

_Why did I agree with him? _Iris thought depressed, _I should've said no, I should've run away as soon as I noticed it was him, I should've-_

"So, you're ready to go?" Cilan's voice suddenly came from behind her, pulling the girl out of her thoughts.

"Huh, what?" Iris said, springing up and looking around disoriented. Cilan stood there, holding the dishes and looking at her confused.

Noticing him, she said with a sheepish grin on her face and in a deeper voice, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, what did you say?"

He smiled kindly at her, then answered, "I asked if you're ready to go?"

"Sure, sure," Iris quickly replied, "just let me pack up my sleeping bag, 'kay?"

The green-haired boy nodded and placed the dishes in his backpack as well. Within a few minutes they both were ready to leave. In an awkward silence they stood next to each other, their backpacks strapped to their backs, both waiting for the other to lead the way.

"Um… where are we going anyway?" Iris said, her voice slightly amused. Here they were, all ready to travel, without knowing where to go.

Realizing his fault, Cilan gave her a smile before responding, "Stupid that I didn't thought of that. We're going to travel together, but we don't even know if we're heading in the same direction, haha."

Awkwardly Iris joined him – it was weird laughing with him, without him knowing it was her. She purposely tried to make her laugh deeper.

"So, where are you going?" she asked, not looking at him directly. _Please, please, please, don't say Kanto, please, please, not Kanto, please_, she prayed in her mind.

"Kanto," he responded with his usual smile.

_Great,_ she though sarcastically, _just great. I'm gonna have to travel with him that whole way? That's months. I don't-_

"Where did you say you wanted to go?" Once again, Cilan's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I- I didn't, heh," she said sheepishly. She didn't continue, because she was in deep thought again. _What should I say? That I'm heading to Kanto too? Or should I lie? Maybe I should-_

"Ike? Hello?" he said, waving a hand in front of her face.

"S- Sorry," she squeaked, "Just- lost in thought again."

_Why does that keep happening? Now, focus Iris, focus._

Cilan was still looking at her expectantly, and she quickly answered, "I'm going to Kanto too. What a coincidence, heh."

"So I suppose we're heading towards Mount Coronet, right?" the older boy continued, oblivious to her discomfort.

When Iris nodded, he started walking off in the direction of the big mountain in front of them. Taking a deep breath and making sure her cap was placed correctly on her head, she followed Cilan. Her adventure had really begun.

* * *

For quite a few hours they had been walking, and during that time the landscape had gradually been changing. They had started out on slightly sloping ground, but slowly, slowly, the ground became steeper and steeper. Thankfully, the road was still broad and well passable, though it was slowly getting rockier. They were still surrounded by trees though.

Her legs were getting tired from all the climbing – she didn't expect that it would take so long to climb the mountain. At the same moment Iris was about to say something about taking a little break, Axew decided it would be a good time to appear again. Since her hair had been cut short and couldn't be used as a hiding place anymore, the green Pokémon had taken a liking to hiding in her bag instead of sitting on her shoulder. Now it had popped out again, climbed on her shoulder and was about to greet Cilan cheerily.

Iris's eyes widened as she noticed what her Pokémon was about to do, and she quickly covered its mouth with her hands, hoping that the young man walking next to her wouldn't notice. Fortunately, he didn't. She slowed a bit down, and then softly hissed at Axew, staring at him intently, "We don't know him, okay? I'm Ike, and you're Axew. Got it?"

The Dragon Pokémon nodded and Iris removed her hands from its mouth. She speeded up, and when she reached Cilan again, he appeared not to have missed her. Despite that she thought she had buried these feelings a long time ago, it still kind of stung.

"So Cilan, are we still going to rest or something?" the purple-haired girl asked.

"Oh of course, I'm sorry, we shall rest as soon as we find a suitable place," he answered, turning around to look at her. Upon noticing the Axew sitting on her shoulder – and maybe because he wasn't looking in front of him – he tripped and fell on his back.

"Ouch!"

"Cilan, you okay?" Iris asked immediately and hastened towards him, for a moment not caring about her disguise. However, the moment after it, she did. _Dang, what do boys do in situations like this?_ She wanted to kneel down next to him to see if he was okay, but knew right away that that wasn't a boy thing. Erm… maybe laugh and extend a hand to help him up? She couldn't just stand there, could she?

"Yeah, yeah, just fine. There's more needed than just a fall to give me a bad taste," he laughed it off, and grabbed the hand she had extended somewhere during her internal discussion. He didn't stand up though.

"What- Why aren't you standing up? Are you hurt?" the disguised girl asked, and couldn't hide the worry in her voice.

He laughed and shook his head, and then answered with an amused, "I thought, this is just as a good place to rest as any. So why not take a break here?"

Plopping down on the ground – and finally letting go of his hand – Iris agreed wholeheartedly, "My legs are so tired."

His hand had felt so warm, she couldn't help but notice. And soft. Especially the palm of his hand. It didn't have as much callus as hers. But it was still bigger than hers, and a lot paler. You could practically see his veins. He had long fingers, perfect piano fingers. His nails were short and clean. Hers were… dirty and bitten short.

_Why do I notice all these things?_ Iris thought disturbed. _Get your head out of the clouds, girl. This is no time to get all girly and mushy because of a stupid old crush. Grow up, get over it!_

Cilan was paying no attention to her, as he was too busy looking at Axew. Still regarding the Pokémon curiously, he stated, "I didn't know you had an Axew."

Snapping out of her thoughts, she replied bluntly, "Well, you obviously don't know a lot about me."

The young man seemed to be taken aback by her reply, and realizing how rude she had been, she quickly gave him an apologetic smile. It wasn't his fault that she was still stuck with a childish crush, after all.

"Sorry," Iris sighed, "just tired. I'm not used to climbing a mountain all day. And about Axew… uh, well, I got it from an… uncle? Yeah, an uncle from Unova! It was still an egg, and um… it hatched."

He nodded, and offered her a bottle of water, while asking, "Where are you from?"

"Um… A city on the east side of Sinnoh, er… Veilstone City?" She hoped it didn't sound as uncertain as it did to her own ears.

She took a few large gulps of the water, and he still looked at her expectantly.

"Er… yeah," she continued, "that's where I grew up. I have never left it, but now I decided to travel around a bit, heh. Not really Training or Coordinating, but, you know…"

"Sounds like this journey is going to have an interesting taste for you. I'm glad that I'm able to share it with you," Cilan said, still smiling.

_Yeah, really interesting. Oh Arceus, I'm sure he's gonna find out._

"Now, tell me a bit more about yourself," Iris quickly said before he could ask another question.

Then he started telling her things she already knew – two brothers, Gym Leader, Striaton City, S-Class Connoisseur- wait, S-Class?

"You're a S-Class Connoisseur?" the dark-skinned girl asked surprised, and also a little impressed. She remembered very well how motivated and serious Cilan always had been about being a Pokémon Connoisseur.

He nodded a little proudly, a big grin on his face. "Yep, promoted just a year ago."

"I'm impressed," Iris responded, "Well done."

Cilan continued, still a hint of pride in his voice. With a twinge of pain the girl realized that he only referred to their travels with Ash as "I traveled around for two years with a few friends.".

_Friends, seriously, Cilan? _she thought bitterly, _The least you could've done was call once in a while. Okay, so I didn't call a lot either, but at least I didn't forget your birthday!_

The last years, she found out, he stayed at the Gym and helped Professor Juniper with some research concerning kids and their Starter Pokémon.

Wordlessly, she handed him the bottle of water, and for a few more minutes they sat in a comfortable silence, now and then interrupted by the Bird Pokémon chirping.

"Now," Iris said, standing up again and dusting of her clothes, "Let's continue, okay? I would like to reach the top before nightfall."

Standing up too, Cilan laughed softly at her, "You have never climbed a mountain before, have you?"

She reached out to grab Axew, and had to bite on her tongue to gave a reply like "No, but _you_ haven't either!". Instead, she managed a small, painful smile and asked, "Have you?"

"No, but I studied this region – it takes at least four days to get across Mount Coronet, and then you're lucky."

"Dang," Iris cursed silently. She didn't like mountain climbing – the tops were treeless and cold. Maybe there was even snow. She really hated the cold and snow.

"Are you coming?" Cilan asked, and she nodded, grabbing her backpack and following him up the mountain.

Up to the adventures. Oh joy.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks a lot for reading! I hope you enjoyed. It wasn't one of my best works, I think, but still passable. It kinda shows how Iris feels the relationship between the two of them. And a bit more of background. Oh well, what matters is your opinion! Please tell me what you thought about it!  
Also, I've started another story – it's called Days, and it has WishfulShipping in it. One of the main pairings ;) So I would really, really like it if you would check it out, heh heh. Thanks!  
Anyway, thanks again, and please tell me what you thought in a REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **So, here it is, a new chapter… Thank you so much for all the support, I truly do appreciate it. You deserve a better author, instead of me with my terribly slow updates. I'm really sorry for taking so long, but I hope you like this chapter, despite the long wait

To _Hi_ Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm sorry I took so long, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**Tomboy**

**Chapter 6**

The scorching sun burned on the two travelers, who were puffing and huffing from the exhaustion of climbing the mountain. The road was rocky and steep, stones lying scattered over what someone could call a path. The thick forest had been replaced by bushes, long grass and the occasional group of conifers. Despite the burning sun and the clear sky, it wasn't very warm – thanks to the height – but the two travelers were still sweating.

"Can- can we please stop- stop to rest?" Iris panted, wiping away sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Hold on," Cilan puffed, "just- just one more minute. We should- we should reach a small plateau soon, if- if I read the map right."

"You better did," the girl muttered under her breath.

Fortunately for her though, Cilan was right. Within ten minutes they reached the small plateau, where both of them quickly slumped down on the ground, strapping off their backpacks and doing their best to catch their breath again. Axew, who had been sleeping in Iris's bag, now crawled out, completely refreshed. A few minutes they were silent, the two humans resting and the Pokémon scurrying around.

A cool breeze suddenly blew over them, and Iris shuddered involuntary, despite sweating. Cilan glanced over at her, a small smile on his face. "Yes, it's actually pretty cold up here, we just didn't notice because of all the climbing we've been doing, haha."

The disguised girl smiled, then let out a deep sigh. "Any idea how long we still have to climb?"

Opening a bottle of water, he answered, "Well, we're almost at the top, I can tell you that. But if I'm not mistaken, we're now on a crossroad."

Not seeing any path other than the one they came from, Iris cocked her head curiously. The green-haired boy grinned, then pointed towards a small opening in the rock wall, almost hidden. "That's one way, a cave, it runs beneath Mount Coronet. Then there's the way we came from, and if I'm not mistaken, there's also a small path that continues upwards to the top of the mountain, er… there!"

Indeed, there was a small path, or well, it could be hardly called a path, it was just a less rockier area than the rest of the mountainside.

"So… either we go through a cave, or we climb to the top of the mountain, right?" Iris asked, while handing Axew some food, and grabbing the bottle water for herself.

"Or we go back, but that would be a bit useless. Either way, I'm certain that this part of our journey will have a different taste."

Iris nodded, not really listening anymore. Through the cave? She didn't particularly like caves, it was dark and you could easily get lost, and her last experience with them – meeting Cilan and having to crawl – wasn't really a good one. But the alternative, having to climb over the mountain, wasn't appealing either. After having to climb for two days, she found out that she didn't really like it. Besides, didn't Ice Types live on top of Mount Coronet?

Her eyes went wide, realizing this. It was one of the few things she was afraid of: Ice Pokémon. She shuddered lightly, and then found that Cilan was regarding her curiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a worried undertone in his voice. "Cold, maybe?"

"No, no, just… what way do you think we could take best?" Iris asked.

The Connoisseur bit his lip, then looked between the two paths. "I'm not quite sure… I don't like caves very much, we could easily get lost… I think it's better to climb."

Biting the inside of her cheek, she asked, "But isn't there snow on top of the mountain?"

"You make a fair point, Ike," he said, nodding, "I believe there is indeed snow on top of Mount Coronet. But summer just ended, and most of the snow will be melted, if I'm not mistaken."

Fear growing in her stomach, Iris asked, "So… we're going to climb?"

"I believe that would be the best option."

She let out a sigh, then took another gulp of water. How was she going to do this? Okay, so there probably was no snow anymore, but Ice Pokémon still lived there, right? They had to live somewhere… But she hadn't seen an Ice Type in years, maybe she had gotten over her fear. Besides, they were just Pokémon, and big chance they wouldn't see them anyway. Right?

Another sigh escaped her lips, and after thinking for a moment, Iris asked Cilan, "How long do you think it'll take? Climbing to the top?"

"Well, I think that it should take less than day to get to the top. And then another day to descend again, considering we took two days to get up here, and I assume downhill is easier…" he trailed off.

Iris nodded once, and silence fell again over the two. She slowly let herself fall back on the rocky ground, staring up at the blue sky. Despite the hard and uncomfortable ground, her eyelids fluttered closed and within a few minutes the exhausted girl fell asleep.

* * *

With a start, Iris woke up from the sound of something metal hitting the ground. She quickly looked around, then noticed Cilan clumsily trying to pick up the fallen pan, only to drop it again. He looked at her, and when he saw that she was awake, he gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I woke you up, didn't I? My apologies, I can be a bit clumsy at times," Cilan apologized, finally managing to grab the pan again. "I was busy preparing dinner, but then I dropped this distasteful pan."

"Wait, what, dinner?" Iris looked up in the sky, only to notice that the sun wasn't up there anymore, but hanging a bit above the horizon and already slightly coloring orange.

The green-haired man nodded. "Yes, you slept for quite some hours. It's no problem though, we can just as well rest here, I don't think we would've found a better place anyway. We'll continue tomorrow."

"I'll go get some firewood," she said, getting up, making the dark jacket lying on top of her drop on the ground.

"Hey, what's this?" she muttered to herself, picking up the jacket.

"Oh, that's mine," Cilan answered, "It gets cold very fast here, so high on the mountain. And I didn't want you to get cold, and since I didn't want to snoop around in your stuff, I thought I'd give you my jacket."

"Thanks Cilan." Iris smiled brightly at him. "That's very sweet."

He smiled back at her for a moment, then his eyes widened and he quickly looked away from her, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

For a split second the disguised girl was confused, then the truth came back to her, and it felt like a slap in her face. She had no idea what exactly she just did, but she _did_ know boys didn't act like that, thus resulting in an awkward moment.

"I'll- I'll go for the firewood," Iris said, and had no idea how fast to get away from Cilan and the awkwardness.

Climbing down a bit towards a group of bushes, she pondered about what just happened. He gave her his jacket, right? Right. And she said thanks and that it was very sweet… What was wrong with that? Nothing, right? Still, something felt off… Smiling, saying thanks, telling him it was swe- oh Arceus…

Iris stopped dead in her tracks as realization hit her. She couldn't- she couldn't have been… _flirting_ with him? No, no, she couldn't. Right? Oh Mew, she _had been_ flirting with him! Her eyes widened as a giddy feeling settled in her stomach and she clapped her hands for her mouth, a giggle escaping her lips.

A moment later she gave herself a light slap in the face – she didn't giggle about something like that! She didn't giggle at all! This was serious, she might have ruined everything…

Yet a smile still continued to stick on her face, even as she had gathered the firewood and was walking back to their camping place. _I need to get a grip on myself, this is going nowhere_, she thought frustrated. _What should I do now? Say sorry? For what? Besides, don't boys always keep silent about things like this? Yeah, I believe they do… Better forget about all this._

Wordlessly she walked back to Cilan, and started to make a fire. Within five minutes, the fire was burning, and the green-eyed man started cooking. As always, his dinner was good, well-prepared, and eaten quickly. It was only when Cilan put away the dirty dishes – it was impossible to do the dishes on top of a mountain – that Iris realized they still hadn't said anything.

Adjusting her cap once again, she glanced at the setting sun, then threw some extra firewood in the fire. Staring in the flames, she quickly got lost in her thoughts about how to start a conversation.

_About Pokémon maybe? _she mused, glancing at Axew, who had crept back in her backpack. _His Pansage? His brothers? The Gym? Life as a Connoisseur? His ex-girlfriends? _

_What, no! Not about his love life, stupid Iris,_ she berated herself. _You don't even think about that, got it? You're not allowed to think about-_

"Ike?"

"Huh?" Iris's head snapped up, being pulled out of her thoughts.

"Well, I was just thinking…" Cilan started, "We have been travelling together for a few days, and we're probably going to be stuck together for some time, but I hardly know anything about you."

He looked at her expectantly, obviously waiting for her answer. Oh Celebi, she wasn't good at things like this, telling people personal stuff. And now she had to make it up too!

"Erm, well, I am Ike, Ike uh Boyle, from Veilstone City, and er, seventeen years old. And I'm now travelling around…"

Cilan laughed, a rich, warm laugh, that made pleasant chills run up her spine. "I didn't mean that, I meant things about yourself, your dreams, what you want in life, things like that."

"Oh eh, I don't really know…" Iris said, unsure.

"I'm sure you have a dream." He smiled at her, encouraging her to continue.

_Becoming a Dragon Master_, a voice in her head piped up. But she couldn't tell him that, he was already suspecting something, she was sure of that, and telling him that would give her away.

Iris stared in the fire again, and without further thinking, she replied, "I wish I could be myself…"

He stared at her with a weird look in his eyes for a long time, before he whispered, "I know how you feel."

The dark-skinned opened her mouth to reply, then found out she didn't know one. Closing her mouth again, she thought about her own answer. Did she just mean that she wanted to be Iris again, and not Ike? Or did she mean that she wasn't herself, even when she was Iris?

Ugh, this was all too confusing, she was feeling way too tired to deal with this now. It was completely dark now, and a cold wind made her shiver. Cilan seemed to be cold too.

"Maybe it's time to go to bed," she offered.

The Connoisseur was pulled out of his thoughts, and looked up startled. "Yeah, that's a good idea… Goodnight Ike."

"Goodnight Cilan."

And with that Iris turned to her own sleeping bag, and after putting out the fire, she crept in her warm sleeping bag. She stared at the last glowing embers from the fire for a few more minutes, hearing Cilan get in his sleeping bag too, before her eyes closed from exhaustion.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you very much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'm sorry for taking so long, I hope to update faster next time. But I haven't been doing nothing in these months, I've written a few one-shots, for a challenge on the Pokewrite Forum (which is a really great forum, go check it out!) and I would really appreciate it if you gave them a read. Also, you can look on my profile page if you want to know what I'm currently working on.  
Now, shameless self-advertising aside, thanks so much for reading and please leave me a REVIEW, I always love to hear from you and they really help me too! Thanks again!


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